Latest news with #ZingZang
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mizkan buys US cocktail mixers brand Zing Zang
Mizkan Group's US arm has acquired local cocktail mixers brand Zing Zang from private equity investor NexPhase Capital. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Chicago, Zing Zang produces a variety of ready-made mixes for cocktails, including a Bloody Mary and Piña Colada mix. Its products are sold in 300,000 points of sale throughout the US across retail and foodservice channels. In a statement, Mizkan's US leg, Mizkan America, said the deal would 'expand its presence in the cocktail-mixers category, a key growth engine for the company". Japan's Mizkan Group produces vinegars, Italian and Asian cooking sauces, cooking wines, and sushi seasoning, with brands such as Ragú, Bertolli, and Holland House. Mizkan's US branch said it planned to "leverage its unique expertise in tomato-based foods to spur growth and innovation across the two organisations'. Diego Palmieri, Mizkan America president and COO, said: 'As a leader in the US pasta sauce and vinegar categories, this acquisition solidifies the company's position in a growing third space." The company already distributes Angostura bitters in North America, which Palmieri said gave it "strong expertise in this area". 'We see the acquisition of Zing Zang as a win-win," he added. Brent Albertson, CEO of Zing Zang, said: 'By uniting our strengths and deep expertise, we are poised to accelerate innovation, broaden our impact and deliver even greater experiences to our customers and distribution partners." Under NexPhase Capital's ownership since 2016, Zing Zang invested in building an in-house sales team, a new distribution network, and launching new packaging formats. "We are proud to have partnered with the Zing Zang team to help build a category leader," said Jamie Kaufman, partner and head of consumer at NexPhase. "By focusing on national distribution, insight-driven innovation and supply chain excellence, Zing Zang has built a powerful platform that delivers premium, accessible cocktail experiences to more consumers, in more ways. It has been a privilege to support Zing Zang's journey, and we're confident the Company is well-positioned for continued success with Mizkan." "Mizkan buys US cocktail mixers brand Zing Zang " was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mizkan America Acquires Chicago-based Zing Zang®
MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill., July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mizkan America, Inc. (MA), announced today that it has acquired Chicago-based Zing Zang®, America's #1-selling Bloody Mary brand, for an undisclosed sum. Zing Zang's portfolio includes a wide range of popular non-alcoholic drink mixes. This acquisition will contribute significantly to Mizkan's growth and expand its presence in the cocktail-mixers' category, a key growth engine for the company. Also, as one of the leading pasta-sauce manufacturers in the United States, Mizkan will leverage its unique expertise in tomato-based foods to spur growth and innovation across the two organizations. This move also serves as a significant step in expanding Mizkan's position in what the company refers to internally as "Inspired Mixology." "Inspired Mixology" defines Mizkan's desire to bring together the company's deep bench of expertise, insights and creativity, combined with the company's leading brands, to reimagine the cocktail/mocktail experience—at home, the bar and beyond—to help consumers and professional mixologists alike create fun, flavorful and on-trend libations. Diego Palmieri, Mizkan America President and Chief Operating Officer, shared, "Zing Zang is an exciting addition to the Mizkan family of brands. As a leader in the U.S. Pasta Sauce and Vinegar categories, this acquisition solidifies the company's position in a growing third space. Mizkan already has strong expertise in this area as the exclusive distributor of ANGOSTURA® bitters in North America. We see the acquisition of Zing Zang as a win-win. We think they will be an amazing collaboration partner allowing Mizkan to expand our presence in "Inspired Mixology" while also driving growth for Mizkan and creating new innovations for our customers. It's also a terrific opportunity for Mizkan to expand our scale and scope in an on-trend category. We're extremely thrilled to have Zing Zang join the Mizkan Team!" Added Brent Albertson, Chief Executive Officer, Zing Zang, LLC, "I'm very excited about the opportunities for growth that will arise from the powerful combination of Mizkan and Zing Zang. By uniting our strengths and deep expertise, we're poised to accelerate innovation, broaden our impact and deliver even greater experiences to our customers and distribution partners." Zing Zang offerings play across a broad spectrum of mixers. Its lineup of premium, bold-tasting products at an affordable price point is also aligned with the current trends in the category. Zing Zang products are made with real fruit and vegetable juices and natural sweeteners. The company's full portfolio of award-winning products is available at For the foreseeable future, Zing Zang, LLC will continue to operate as a separate business from Mizkan America. Prior to this acquisition, Zing Zang, LLC was owned by NexPhase Capital. Jefferies served as exclusive financial advisor to Zing Zang and Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP served as legal advisor. Spayne Lindsay & Co. served as financial advisor to Mizkan and Latimer LeVay Fyock, LLC served as legal advisor. About MizkanBased in Mount Prospect, IL, Mizkan America, Inc., is the US operating company of the Mizkan Group, a global, family-owned company that has been Bringing Flavor To Life™ for more than 220 years, always guided by the company's Two Principles (Offer customers only the finest products; and Continuously challenge the status quo). As one of the leading makers of condiments and sauces in the United States, Mizkan America maintains 12 manufacturing facilities that serve the retail, foodservice, specialty Asian and food-ingredient trade channels. Since their U.S. debut in 1977, Mizkan America has experienced dramatic growth and their portfolio now includes a wide variety of vinegars, Italian and Asian sauces, cooking wines, wine reductions and sushi seasoning. Mizkan America brands include: RAGÚ®, Bertolli®, Holland House®, Nakano®, Mizkan® and Born Simple®. Mizkan America is also the exclusive distributor/sales agent for Angostura® bitters in North America. For more information, go to: and About Zing ZangZing Zang® is the leading Bloody Mary brand and a top non-alcoholic cocktail-mix brand in the U.S. Renowned for its premium-quality mixers, Zing Zang offers a wide range of products, including the best-selling Bloody Mary Mix, Blazing Bloody Mary Mix, Dill Pickle Bloody Mary Mix and an authentic Michelada Mix. Zing Zang also has an "AMAZING" lineup of mixers that includes Classic Margarita, Mango Margarita, Strawberry Margarita-Daiquiri, Sweet & Sour and Piña Colada—all made with real fruit juices and naturally sweetened without high-fructose corn syrup. Founded in 1997 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Zing Zang products are available nationwide with 300,000 points of distribution in over 120,000 retail and on-premise locations. For more information, please visit For media queries, please contact: Deborah Cross, Director, Communications, Mizkan America, Inc., View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Mizkan America, Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Mutiny Island's smoked hot pepper vodka is perfect Bloody Mary fodder
Vodka's strength is its versatility. There's no spirit out there with more flavor variations than eastern Europe's drink of choice. Brands like Pinnacle and Burnett's have stocked their portfolios with wild variants ranging from the logical and flexible (orange) to the absurd and limited (pumpkin pie). The bulk of these flavored vodkas are, uh, not especially well received. No shade there on my end; there's a place for everything and whipped cream vodka has browned out more of my nights than I'd care to admit. That leaves room for a higher plane of flavored spirits out there. I'm not sure Mutiny Island, made from breadfruit and Caribbean rainwater down in St. Croix and clocking in at $27 per fifth, fits that bill based on composition -- but if it tastes great, it might get there on quality alone. But, admittedly, I don't want a sipping vodka. I want a vodka I can mix easily in my favorite drinks. A smoked hot pepper vodka? Heck yeah, sounds perfect for a bloody Mary (even if I just learned the beautiful ways of the Caesar up in Canada). Let's see how it works there. Mutiny Island smoked hot pepper vodka in a bloody Mary with Zing Zang: A- The most obvious place for spicy vodka is in a bloody Mary. I'm a bit shorthanded this time around, so let's get this out of the way. My garnish game? Terrible, especially for someone in Wisconsin. I didn't even have a pickle spear to drop into the mug; just little gherkins. I started with my typical base -- a little pepper, Worcestershire sauce and pickle juice -- before adding vodka and Zing Zang. The vodka smells as advertised; spicy and smoky with a lingering, cutting current of alcohol underneath. I'd normally slop it up with a healthy dose of hot sauce (the one place where Tabasco still reigns supreme), but I want to know how spicy Mutiny Island can make my bloody on its own. The answer is appropriately so -- maybe not as hot as I wanted, but there's a nice lingering heat that sticks to your tongue. It's savory and satisfying and, despite a liberal pour, not boozy-burny but spicy-burny. I kinda wish I had some cheese cubes and a beef stick as a garnish, because those would taste awesome after soaking in this cocktail. While I'd like a little more spice, I really do appreciate the lingering flavor at the end of each sip. This is a balanced, proper bloody that's easy to come back to, and I'm slightly disappointed I'm not hungover to see how quickly I could get this into my bloodstream to revive me (and, potentially, prolong said hangover). For a hot pepper vodka, it's pleasantly restrained. It's gonna be my go-to bloody Mary vodka for a while. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Mutiny Island's smoked hot pepper vodka over a cold can of Hamm's? I drank it with Hamm's as my beer back. I highly recommend it. This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
